updates and news
July 1, 2008 - C-PAS continues to evolve as one of EPIC’s most promising services, sparking the interest of several possible supporters and participant organizations. Key accomplishments during the second quarter of 2008 include:
- The Carnegie Corporation Board of directors approved a $2 million grant for C- PAS, which will fund the project for four years.
- EPIC staff completed the first analysis of C-PAS data using IRT methods. Preliminary results are promising and provide empirical support for the constructs and their valid use in both mathematics and English. Results indicate that the scores adequately measure the KCS and teachers are consistently using the scoring guides.
- The Urban Assembly network completed the spring task administration in 10 high schools and six middle schools.
- The early college high schools completed spring task administration in seven high schools.
- EPIC staff recruited new development partners and began to develop a procedure for integrating new schools systems into C-PAS field testing.
- EPIC staff conducted approximately 20 teleconference and web conference trainings on C-PAS.
- EPIC staff completed development of the middle school scoring guides.
- EPIC staff designed and distributed scoring training materials.
- EPIC staff recruited and trained scoring moderators for high school and middle school work.
- EPIC staff further developed and revised performance tasks. (Teachers administer these performance tasks within the context of their curriculum and score with a common scoring guide.)
- EPIC programmers continued to work on the online system, which is still in BETA form. Expansion of the system in the second quarter of 2008 occurred with the addition of a program that allows administrators to upload student data for their school and the expansion of the scoring moderation system to allow for moderation of middle school work.
April 1, 2008 - C-PAS continues to evolve as one of EPIC’s most promising services, sparking the interest of several possible supporters and participant organizations. Key accomplishments during the first quarter of 2008 include:
- In late January, EPIC staff met with Urban Assembly teachers about the fall pilot to collect feedback and suggestions for improvement.
- Six Urban Assembly middle schools began their field-testing of C-PAS.
- EPIC staff began development of 6th and 8th grade scoring guides.
- EPIC staff conducted training for 15 Early College High Schools (ECHS) that will be participating in C-PAS this spring.
- EPIC staff further developed and revised performance tasks. (Teachers administer these performance tasks within the context of their curriculum and score with a common scoring guide.)
- The web application, which is still in BETA form, expanded in the first quarter of 2008 with the addition of a bulletin board, fostering communication within the C-PAS network. The performance task bank now allows for tasks to be mapped to state standards, which are displayed within the tool. Additionally, a demonstration account was created for marketing and presentation purposes.